Machine tool

ABSTRACT

A machine tool comprises a bed  1  having longitudinal guiding tracks  7, 7  on upper faces of right and left side parts  4, 4  respectively, a cutting unit  2  hung and supported by the guiding tracks  7, 7 , moving in a longitudinal direction, and having a cutting part at its front, and a work fixing table  3  integrally attached on the bed  1 , cover faces provided between the cutting unit  2  and the work fixing table  3  to surround an upper face as well as right and left side faces of the cutting part  2 , and a cover device  14  forming a working space with only the bottom open relative to the cover faces, the work fixing table  3  and the cutting unit  2 , wherein right and left side faces “d”, “d” of the cover faces hang below the guiding tracks  7, 7  inside the right and left side parts  4, 4  of the bed  1.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a machine tool having a cutting unitwhich moves in a longitudinal direction.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A machine tool has been already known, which comprises a bed,longitudinal guiding tracks formed on the bed, a cutting unit moving ina longitudinal direction along the guiding tracks, and a cutting part(including a spindle axle and a cutting edge) formed in front of thecutting unit for processing a work.

This kind of machine tool has a cover device to prevent cutting chipsfrom splashing, but can not prevent them from failing and attaching onthe guiding tracks.

Accordingly, another exclusive cover is provided to surround theabove-mentioned guiding tracks. This cover is retractable in order tomove the cutting unit in a longitudinal direction, made of metal so asto bear heated cutting chips.

The present invention seeks to provide a machine tool which does notneed an exclusive cover to surround the above-mentioned guiding tracks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To achieve the above object, the present invention is characterized by amachine tool comprising a bed having right and left side parts and alongitudinal guiding track formed on an upper face of each right andleft side part, a cutting unit hung and supported by the guiding tracks,moving in a longitudinal direction, and having a cutting part at itsfront, and a work fixing table integrally attached on the bed. Inaddition, cover faces are provided between the cutting unit and the workfixing table to surround an upper face as well as right and left sidefaces of the cutting part, and a cover device is provided to form aworking space with only the bottom open relative to the cover faces, thework fixing table and the cutting unit. Here, right and left side facesof the cover faces hang below the guiding tracks inside the right andleft side parts of the bed.

The above-mentioned cover device, work fixing table, and cutting unitdefine a working space and prevent cutting chips generated therein fromsplashing outside, leading them downward between the right and left sideparts of the bed. Therefore, the cutting chips do not splash towards theright and left guiding tracks nor deposit near the guiding tracks, wherecleaning is hard.

The above-mentioned invention is concreted as follows.

That is to say, the cover device is engaged to either the cutting unitor the work fixing table. Therefore, a particular supporting system isnot necessary to support the cover device.

Moreover, a cutting chips carrying device is provided downward betweenthe right and left side parts of the bed to receive the cutting chipsand carry them to a fixed place in the outside. Therefore, the cuttingchips generated during processing are completely and promptly taken outcompletely and promptly without treatments such as sweeping andgathering.

According to the above-mentioned present invention, as no heated cuttingchips contact with the guiding tracks, the machine tool does not need anexclusive cover for the guiding tracks to prevent the cutting chips fromdepositing and attaching thereto. Besides, as the cover device leads thecutting chips to fall downward between the right and left side faces ofthe bed, the cutting chips are hardly scattered, thereby effecting aneasy cleaning of the cutting chips after the work is over.

Moreover, it is preferable to provide a safety cover near the guidingtracks to avoid any danger at an operating part. However, it is notnecessary to provide it a countermeasure against heat like one necessaryfor a cover for heated cutting chips. Consequently, a simple cover issufficient for this machine tool. Furthermore, a supporting system tosupport the cover device is simple by using the cutting unit and thework fixing table. In addition, it is possible to completely and rapidlyremove the cutting chips produced during the process without sweepingand gathering them from every corner of the machine tool.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view, showing an example of a machine tool having amulti spindle heads, according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing a different example of the machine toolhaving the multi spindle heads, according to the invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the machine tool in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along the line X1—X1 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view taken along the line X1—X1 in FIG. 1.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention, as shown in these figures, comprises a bed 1, acutting unit 2, and a work fixing table 3.

The above bed 1 comprises right and left side parts 4, 4 as well as afront face 5 and a rear face 6 each combining the side parts 4, 4.Besides, longitudinal guiding tracks 7, 7 are provided on each upperface of the above side parts 4, 4.

In this case, each side part 4 combines its vertical and lateral facesto compose a strong rigid face structure having a space “s”thereiniside. A guide plate 4 a for cutting chips is obliquely fixed toeach side part 4.

The above cutting unit 2 comprises a unit flame 8 moving in alongitudinal direction along the right and left guiding tracks 7, 7, amotor 9 fixed on this flame 8, and a cutting part 11 having pluralspindles 10 driven by the motor 9.

The work fixing table 3 is fixed on the bed 1 to grip a work “w” on aside face “m” facing the cutting unit 2.

A drive unit 12 is fixed to the rear of the bed 1 to displace thecutting unit 2 in a longitudinal direction. As this drive unit 12, forinstance, a electric motor or a hydraulic cylinder is used.

A cutting chips carrying device 13 is integrated into the bed 1 andprovided downward between the right and left side parts 4, 4 thereof,comprising a comparatively long horizontal carrier starting end “a”, anoblique carrier path “b”, and a comparatively short horizontal carrierfinishing end “c”. A carrier band “n” moves from the carrier startingend “a” to the carrier finishing end “c”.

A cover device 14 is provided between the cutting unit 2 and the workfixing table 3 to prevent cutting chips from splashing.

This cover device 14 is formed as the following.

That is to say, the cover device 14, having cover faces to surround anupper face and right and left side faces of the cutting part 11,comprises a front end cover 15 and a back end cover 16. A back upside ofthe back end cover 16 is combined with an upper face of the Cutting unit2 through hinges 17 so that both the covers 15, 16 can be supported bythe cutting unit 2 as well as rock and open upwardly as the whole.

The front end cover 15 is slidably fixed to the back end cover 16. Inthis case, it is important that right and left side faces “d”, “d” ofeach cover 15, 16 hang down to a position below the guiding tracks 7, 7inside the right and left side parts 4, 4 of the bed 1 (vide FIG. 5).

Cylindrical members 18, 18 are horizontally secured to the outsides ofthe right and left side faces “d”, “d” of the back end cover 16.Supporting sticks 19, 19 are slidably inserted into these cylindricalmembers 18, 18, and ends of these supporting sticks 19, 19 are combinedwith corresponding outsides of the right and left side faces “d”, “d” ofthe front end cover 15 by means of engaging pieces, and a compressingspring 20 is external mounted on a part of each supporting stick 19between a tip thereof and the cylindrical member 18.

In this case, the front end cover 15 is composed so as to move to theforefront against the back end cover 16 by elasticity of the compressingspring 20 on condition that no backward external force affects the frontend cover 15.

A cutting edge 21 and a container 22 for cutting chips are illustratedin figures respectively.

Examples and operations for the above-mentioned machine tool accordingto the present invention are explained as the following.

First of all, as shown FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the cutting unit 2 is moved tothe aftermost, wherein a tip end of the front end cover 15 is away fromthe work fixing table 3.

Under this condition, in response to necessity, the cover device 14 ispulled from a position showed by a full line up to a position showed bya virtual line “k” in FIG. 1, turning around the hinge 17. At this time,the cover device 14 can remain there owing to gravity.

The above displacement enables the cutting part 11 to appear outward.Under this condition, a necessary cutting edge 21 is fixed to eachspindle 10 or a fixed cutting edge 21 is exchanged. After finishingnecessary treatments, the cover device 14 is returned to the full lineposition in FIG. 1.

On the other hand, a work “w”, as shown in FIG. 1, is fixed on the workfixing table 3 through a mutual space between the work fixing table 3and the front end cover 15. Thereafter, a work starting order isinputted to a control device which is not illustrated. Therefore, themotor 9 for driving the spindle 10 spins a plurality of spindles 10 andthe cutting edge 21. The drive unit 12 for displacing the cutting unit 2moves the cutting unit 2 and the cover device 14 to a forward direction“f”.

When the cutting unit 2 is displaced forward for a fixed distance, asshown in FIG. 2, a front end of the front end cover 15 touches at a face“m” of the work fixing table 3. Therefore, the front and rear end-facesof the cover device 14 are covered with the work fixing table 3 and thecutting unit 2, respectively, to form a working space with only thebottom open. A work “w” locates therein.

When the cutting unit 2 is displaced further to the forward “f”, thefront end cover 15 is pressed for only this displaced distance to thework fixing table 3 against elasticity of the compressing spring 20,thereby increasing an overlapped length with the back end cover 16 aswell as shortening an overall length of the cover device 14.

As the cover device 14 is shortened, the cutting edge 21 of the cuttingpart 11 reaches the work “w”, and starts processing it. Because of thisprocessing, cutting chips are produced and splashed from the work “w” inaccordance with revolutions of the cutting edge 21 and the spindle 10.These splashed cutting chips fall downward along the peripheral faces ofthe above working space.

The cutting chips fall downward between the right and left side parts 4,4 of the bed 1, and reach on the carrier face “n” of the carrierstarting end “a” of the cutting chips carrying device 13. Therefore, thecutting chips do not fall on nor attach to the right and left guidingtracks 7, 7 as well as the neighborhood thereof, which are locatedoutside the cover device 14 and above the lower edges of each right andleft side face “d”, “d” of the cover face.

The cutting chips deposited on the carrier face “n” reach the carrierfinishing end “c” through the oblique carrier path “b” by displacing thecarrier face “n”, and fall into a container 22 therefrom.

When cutting the work “w” is thus finished, the drive unit 12 fordisplacing the cutting unit 2 works conversely to the former.Accordingly, each cover 15, 16 of the cover device 14 are displacedconversely to the former, returning to the state of FIG. 1. Then, themotor 9 for driving the spindle 10 stops.

Thereafter, a processed work “w” is removed, and one process comes to anend. The same treatments and operations follow.

The above embodiment can be modified as the following.

That is to say, in the above embodiment the cover device 14 has coverfaces formed by the front end cover 15 and the back end cover 16. Inplace of this, it is possible to insert and instal one or plural anotherintermediate covers between the front end cover 15 and the back endcover 16. These cover faces can be slid to an adjacent cover. Thisorganization is available when a longitudinal size of the cover device14 is long.

Moreover in place of the cylindrical member 18, the supporting stick 19and the compressing spring 20, it is possible to equip a cylinder devicehaving the same actions as them. In this case, the cover device 14 isextended or retracted by power of the cylinder device.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the cutting unit 2 supports thecover device 14. However, in place of this, it is possible to make thework fixing table 3 support the cover device 14. That is to say, forexample, turning the cover device 14 conversely, the back end cover 16is combined with the work fixing table 3 by means of hinges. In thiscase, the work “w” is removed from the work fixing table 3 when thecover device 14 is turned upward around hinges.

Cylindrical members 18, 18 are horizontally secured to the outsides ofthe right and left side faces “d”, “d” of the back end cover 16.Supporting sticks 19, 19 are slidably inserted into these cylindricalmembers 18, 18, and ends of these supporting sticks 19, 19 are combinedwith corresponding outsides of the right and left side faces “d”, “d” ofthe front end cover 15 by means of engaging pieces, and a compressingspring 20 is external mounted on a part of each supporting stick 19between a tip thereof and the cylindrical member 18.

In this case, the front end cover 15 is composed so as to move to theforefront against the back end cover 16 by elasticity of the compressingspring 20 on condition that no backward external force affects the frontend cover 15.

A cutting edge 21 and a container 22 for cutting chips are illustratedin figures respectively.

Examples and operations for the above-mentioned machine tool accordingto the present invention are explained as the following.

First of all, as shown FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the cutting unit 2 is moved tothe aftermost, wherein a tip end of the front end cover 15 is away fromthe work fixing table 3.

Under this condition, in response to necessity, the cover device 14 ispulled from a position showed by a full line up to a position showed bya virtual line “k” in FIG. 1, turning around the hinge 17. At this time,the cover device 14 can remain there owing to gravity.

The above (displacement enables the cutting part 11 to appear outward.Under this condition, a necessary cutting edge 21 is fixed to eachspindle 10 or a fixed cutting edge 21 is exchanged. After finishingnecessary treatments, the cover device 14 is returned to the full lineposition in FIG. 1.

On the other hand, a work “w”, as shown in FIG. 1, is fixed on the workfixing table 3 through a mutual space between the work fixing table 3and the front end cover 15. Thereafter, a work starting order isinputted to a control device which is not illustrated. Therefore, themotor 9 for driving the spindle 10 spins a plurality of spindles 10 andthe cutting edge 21. The drive unit 12 for displacing the cutting unit 2moves the cutting unit 2 and the cover device 14 to a forward direction“f”.

When the cutting unit 2 is displaced forward for a fixed distance, asshown in FIG. 2, a front end of the front end cover 15 touches at a face“m” of the work fixing table 3. Therefore, the front and rear end-facesof the cover device 14 are covered with the work fixing table 3 and thecutting unit 2, respectively, to form a working space with only thebottom open. A work “w” locates therein.

When the cutting unit 2 is displaced further to the forward “f”, thefront end cover 15 is pressed for only this displaced distance to thework fixing table 3 against elasticity of the compressing spring 20,thereby increasing an overlapped length with the back end cover 16 aswell as shortening an overall length of the cover device 14.

As the cover device 14 is shortened, the cutting edge 21 of the cuttingpart 11 reaches the work “w”, and starts processing it. Because of thisprocessing, cutting chips are produced and splashed from the work “w” inaccordance with revolutions of the cutting edge 21 and the spindle 10.These splashed cutting chips fall downward along the peripheral faces ofthe above working space.

The cutting chips fall downward between the right and left side parts 4,4 of the bed 1, and reach on the carrier face “n” of the carrierstarting end “a” of the cutting chips carrying device 13. Therefore, thecutting chips do not fall on nor attach to the right and left guidingtracks 7, 7 as well as the neighborhood thereof, which are locatedoutside the cover device 14 and above the lower edges of each right andleft side face “d”, “d” of the cover face.

The cutting chips deposited on the carrier face “n” reach the carrierfinishing end “c” through the oblique carrier path “b” by displacing thecarrier face “n”, and fall into a container 22 therefrom.

When cutting the work “w” is thus finished, the drive unit 12 fordisplacing the cutting unit 2 works conversely to the former.Accordingly, each cover 15, 16 of the cover device 14 are displacedconversely to the former, returning to the state of FIG. 1. Then, themotor 9 for driving the spindle 10 stops.

Thereafter, a processed work “w” is removed, and one process comes to anend. The same treatments and operations follow.

The above embodiment can be modified as the following.

That is to say, in the above embodiment the cover device 14 has coverfaces formed by the front end cover 15 and the back end cover 16. Inplace of this, it is possible to insert and instal one or plural anotherintermediate covers between the front end cover 15 and the back endcover 16. These cover faces can be slid to an adjacent cover. Thisorganization is available when a longitudinal size of the cover device14 is long.

Moreover in place of the cylindrical member 18, the supporting stick 19and the compressing spring 20, it is possible to equip a cylinder devicehaving the same actions as them. In this case, the cover device 14 isextended or retracted by power of the cylinder device. Furthermore, inthe above embodiment, the cutting unit 2 supports the cover device 14.However, in place of this, it is possible to male the work fixing table3 support the cover device 14. That is to say, for example, turning thecover device 14 conversely, the back end cover 16 is combined with thework fixing table 3 by means of hinges. In this case, the work “w” isremoved from the work fixing table 3 when the cover device 14 is turnedupward around hinges.

What is claimed is:
 1. A machine tool comprising: a bed having right andleft side parts and a longitudinal guiding track formed on an upper faceof each right and left side part; a cutting unit hung and supported bysaid guiding tracks, moving in a longitudinal direction, and having acutting part at its front constantly at a level above said guidingtracks; a work fixing table integrally attached on said bed; a coverdevice having cover faces provided between said cutting unit and saidwork fixing table to surround an upper face as well as right and leftside faces of the cutting part, the cover device forming with said workfixing table and said cutting unit a working space having only a bottomopen, wherein right and left side faces of said cover faces hang belowthe guiding tracks, between the right and left side parts of said bed.2. A machine tool as set forth in claim 1, wherein said cover device isengaged to said cutting unit.
 3. A machine tool as set forth in claim 2,wherein a cutting chips carrying device is provided under the right andleft side faces to receive the cutting chips and carry them to a fixedplace outside said machine tool.
 4. A machine tool as set forth in claim1, wherein a cutting chips carrying device is provided under the rightand left side faces to receive the cutting chips and carry them to afixed place outside said machine tool.
 5. A machine tool as set forth inclaim 1, wherein said cover device is engaged to said work fixing table.6. A machine tool as set forth in claim 5, wherein a cutting chipscarrying device is provided under the right and left side faces toreceive the cutting chips and carry them to a fixed place outside saidmachine tool.